WAIPA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5455, 20 September 1878, Page 2

WAIPA.

(from a- correspondent.) llewx at Waitara is completely beset by Gc-*-vernraeat agents, and he feels it. He has sent for a stamp that marks his name and the date, and no letter or telegram without this stamp will be genuine. -He fchi-iks his name has been put to. documents he has not s(?en. When he left here he did not take the stamp with him ; he has been very anxious to have it sent, and lately a half-caste took it to him. The Government has been very anxious that Rewi should come back to Waikato, but he will stay where ho is until after March. It was said that in expectation of ilewi’s return a halfcaste lady named , who with a relative has been actively and to herself profitably employed in recent negotiations, was coming to reside at Puiru, where a house was to be built for her, and her duty to be to look after the old man for the present, bat with future prospects of a brilliant sort I think Grey promised Tawhiao that no lauds should go through the Native Lauds Court without his approval, and I understand the Judge has been instructed to postpone the hearing of several claims. The King sent his Prime Minister* Te Ngakau— or, as he is now called, Tutua—to protest against the Court in any way taking action in any lauds at all. Of course his mandate must be strictly obeyed. Case after case was postponed, until one- came up which was not included in the Government list sent to the Judge. Te Ngakau * strongly objected to its being proceeded with, and finding his protest of no avail did the next best thing from his. point of view, viz., to appear on behalf of Tawhiao and claim ownership on the ground that all lands in the Waikato are under the custody of Tawhiao. I understand he argued his point very well. Government organs make great capital out of ithe fact that Tawhiao had sent his secretary to appear in Court, and pointing to' this as the “first time” that* the King and the extreme Hauhaua had-at all recognised the power of the Queen to decide the ownership of their lands, and they claimed it as the first fruits of Grey’s native policy and the beginning of the end of all native troubles.. Now mark the result. Tawhiao, so far from admitting tbe jurisdiction of the Court, was so displeased at his representative appearing as a claimant, and thus giving even a show of acknowledge meut of the law, that Te Ngakau was removed from office, and another appointed in his place. . . • • ■ ;